Starry Night Sugar Cookies (Print version)

Vanilla cookies with swirled blue icing and edible stars for celestial celebrations

# What goes in:

→ Cookie Dough

01 - 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
02 - 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
03 - 1/4 teaspoon salt
04 - 3/4 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
05 - 3/4 cup granulated sugar
06 - 1 large egg
07 - 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract

→ Marbled Icing

08 - 2 cups powdered sugar, sifted
09 - 2-3 tablespoons milk
10 - 1 tablespoon light corn syrup
11 - 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
12 - Blue and black gel food coloring
13 - Edible gold or silver star sprinkles

# Cooking steps:

01 - Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt in a medium bowl. Set aside for later use.
02 - Beat butter and granulated sugar in a large bowl until light and fluffy, approximately 2-3 minutes.
03 - Add the egg and vanilla extract to the butter mixture, mixing until fully combined.
04 - Gradually add dry ingredients to wet mixture, mixing just until dough forms and no flour streaks remain.
05 - Divide dough in half, shape into flat discs, wrap tightly in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
06 - Preheat oven to 350°F and line baking sheets with parchment paper.
07 - On lightly floured surface, roll one dough disc at a time to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut out star or round shapes with cookie cutters.
08 - Arrange cutouts on prepared baking sheets 1 inch apart. Bake for 9-11 minutes until edges are lightly golden.
09 - Let cookies rest on baking sheet for 5 minutes, then transfer to wire rack to cool entirely before icing.
10 - Whisk powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons milk, corn syrup, and vanilla until smooth. Adjust consistency with additional milk if needed.
11 - Divide icing between two bowls. Tint one deep blue and the other black. Gently swirl colors together in a shallow dish.
12 - Dip cooled cookies face-down into marbled icing. Immediately sprinkle with edible stars. Allow icing to set for at least 30 minutes.

# Tips from flavorandfeast:

01 -
  • The marbled icing technique looks incredibly impressive but takes literally minutes to master
  • These cookies stay perfectly tender for days making them ideal for prep ahead entertaining
02 -
  • Overworking the dough after adding flour will make your cookies tough so stop as soon as everything comes together
  • If your icing is too thick the marble effect wont flow but too thin and it will drip right off the edges
03 -
  • Warm your cookie cutter slightly between cuts if the dough starts sticking to the edges
  • Tap the bottom of your icing bowl gently on the counter to release any air bubbles before dipping

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